In digital still cameras and compact cameras using film, those with a built-in strobe containing a strobe casing having a strobe light-emitting section that throws in fill flash for taking photographs have been in wide use.
These cameras with a built-in strobe are divided into two types: one which performs the opening/closing operation of a lens barrier; and the other which has a pop-up mechanism that enables the strobe casing attached to a camera body to be shiftable between a first position and a second position.
In general, the latter type of camera with a built-in strobe having the pop-up mechanism has a problem that the provision of the pop-up mechanism increases the size of the camera as a whole. Cameras with a built-in strobe that have been contrived in an effort to solve this problem are shown, e.g., in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-327008 (1999) (hereinafter, referred to as Document 1) and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-228050 (1998) (hereinafter, referred to as Document 2).
The camera with a built-in strobe shown in Document 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 19(a), 19(b) and 20. FIG. 19(a) shows a state where a strobe casing 102 is at a housing position; FIG. 19(b) shows a state where the strobe casing 102 is at a projecting position; and FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view of the strobe casing 102 and its adjacent components.
As shown in these figures, a support lever 101 for supporting the strobe casing 102 has a first turning section 101a and a second turning section 101b, and is turnably supported on a camera body 100 through the first turning section 101a. The strobe casing 102 containing a strobe light-emitting section 102a therein has a strobe support unit 102b thereunder, which is turnably supported at the second turning section 101b of the support lever 101 so as to be rotatable with respect to the support lever 101. The strobe light-emitting section 102a throws in flash light from a surface orthogonal to the turning axes 103, 104 of the first turning section 101a and the second turning section 101b out of the surfaces of the strobe casing 102 which is shaped approximately rectangular parallelepiped. In the housing position, the strobe casing 102 is completely housed in the camera body 100.
FIG. 19(b) shows the state where the strobe casing 102 is projected from the camera body 100 and the strobe light-emitting section 102a is ready to throw in flash light. As shown in FIG. 19(b), even in the projected condition, the strobe casing 102 is not completely exposed from the camera body 100, and the part of the strobe casing 102 that is in the vicinity of the strobe support unit 102b remains housed in the camera body 100.
The camera with a built-in strobe according to Document 1 realizes a reduction in the space taken up by the stroboscope as a whole.
Document 1 does not refer to the arrangement of a wiring section for electrically connecting the strobe light-emitting section 102a and the camera body 100; however, the present applicant assumes that the wiring section is arranged near the strobe support unit 102b. The reason for the assumption is that if the wiring section is arranged somewhere other than the vicinity of the strobe support unit 102b, then the wiring section is exposed when the strobe casing 102 is in the projecting position, which may damage the wiring section. It is also possible to assume that the strobe casing 102 is designed not to be completely exposed outside from the camera body 100 when the strobe casing 102 is in the projecting position for the purpose of avoiding the exposure of the wiring section.
The camera with a built-in strobe disclosed in Document 2 has the structure shown in FIGS. 21, 22(a) and 22(b).
As shown in these figures, the camera with a built-in strobe includes a strobe block 201 which has an approximately triangular shape when viewed from a side and is projected from and withdrawn to a top surface of the camera body 200 as desired, and the right and left side plate parts of the strobe block 201 are supported by a pair of supporting link mechanisms 202 in such a manner as to be projected and withdrawn as desired. The pair supporting link mechanisms 202 each comprises: a drive lever 203 which receives the driving force of an unillustrated torsion spring via plural gears; a C-shaped link 204 which is disposed a little behind the drive lever 203; and a L-shaped link 205 which links the drive lever 203, the C-shaped link 204 and the strobe block 201. One end part 203a of the drive lever 203 and one end part 204a of the C-shaped link 204 are turnably attached on the strobe supporting member 205 fixed in the prescribed position of the camera body 200. The other end part 203b of the drive lever 203 is turnably linked with the portion which becomes the bottom end part of the strobe block 201 when the strobe block 201 is projected; a center part 205a of the L-shaped link 205 is linked with the drive lever 203; one end part 205b of the L-shaped link 205 is linked with the other end part of the C-shaped link 204; and the other end part 205c of the L-shaped link 205 is linked with the strobe block 201.
When the strobe block 201 is shifted from the position to be housed in the top surface of the camera body 200 shown in FIG. 22(b) to the projecting position shown in FIG. 22(a), a strobe lens 201a of the strobe block 201 turns from diagonally below towards the front, while the strobe block 201 projects nearly upwards. As shown in FIG. 21, in the center of the front surface of the camera body 200 is provided a lens barrel 206 containing a zoom lens. As shown in FIG. 22(b), in this camera with a built-in strobe, the strobe block 201 is designed to be housed between a battery room 207 and a front surface 200a of the camera body 200.
The camera with a built-in strobe of Document 2 realizes a reduction in the space taken up by the stroboscope as a whole.
Document 2 does not also refer to the arrangement of the wiring section for electrically connecting the strobe light-emitting section of the strobe block 201 and the camera body 100; however, the present applicant assumes that the wiring section is arranged near e.g., the supporting link mechanisms 202 so that the wiring section can be prevented from being exposed outside from the camera body 200 when the strobe block 201 is in the projecting position.
Document 1, however, has a problem that the camera with a built-in strobe can not be downsized any more by reducing the space taken up by the whole stroboscope because of the provision of the strobe support unit 102b turnably supported through the second turning section 101b of the support lever 101 under the strobe casing 102.
On the other hand, Document 2 has the supporting link mechanisms 202 each including three links (the drive lever 203, the C-shaped link 204 and the L-shaped link 205) and plural gears, and as shown in FIG. 22(b), the C-shaped links 204 and other components project downwards from the storage place of the strobe block 201 when they are housed. This structure has the same problem that the camera with a built-in strobe can not be downsized by reducing the space taken up by the whole stroboscope. If the structure of Document 2 is applied to a camera having a strobe block which is shaped approximately rectangular parallelepiped, the strobe block projects backwards or upwards, making it hard to be housed properly.
In order to prevent the flash light of the strobe light-emitting section 102a shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 and the light-emitting section of the strobe block 201 shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 from being reflected diffusely by the presence of the lens barrel or other components in the center of the front surface of the camera bodies 100 and 200, it is preferable that the strobe casing 102 and the strobe block 201 are set as far a position from the camera bodies 100 and 200 as possible when projected. However, in this camera with a built-in strobe, the support lever 101, the drive lever 203 and the C-shaped link 204 are provided inside the camera bodies 100 and 200, which makes it difficult to increase the distance from the camera bodies 100 and 200 to the strobe casing 102 and the strobe block 201 when in the projecting position.
In both cameras with a built-in strobe, the projecting position is set almost right above the housing position, which also causes the flash light of the strobe light-emitting section 102a and the light-emitting section of the strobe block 201 to be reflected diffusely by the presence of the lens barrel or other components in the center of the front surface of the camera bodies 100 and 200.
The strobe casing 102 and the strobe block 201 are not completely exposed from the camera bodies 100 and 200 when projected in an effort to prevent the exposure of the wiring section. This is another reason why it is difficult to set the strobe casing 102 and the strobe block 201 at a high position when projected.
In both cameras with a built-in strobe, the strobe light-emitting section 102a and the strobe block 201 are designed to face straight ahead when in the projecting position, and the flash light from the light-emitting section is applied directly to the subject of a photograph. This sometimes causes the formation of a shadow behind the subject of a photograph when the light flashes, and it has been impossible to reduce this inconvenience.